Nonstop flight route between Savannah, Georgia (near Hilton Head, South Carolina), United States and Port Elizabeth, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), Savannah, Georgia (near Hilton Head, South Carolina), United States and Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), Port Elizabeth, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,293 miles (or 13,346 kilometers).

A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport and Port Elizabeth International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport and Port Elizabeth International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV):

• Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) has 2 runways.
• A terminal expansion project was completed in July 2007, adding five departure gates.
• Because of Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport's relatively low elevation of 50 feet, planes can take off or land at Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• The City of Savannah acquired a 600 acre tract in the vicinity of Cherokee Hill, one of the highest elevations in the county, and construction of a new airfield commenced under a WPA project.
• A six-gate terminal built in 1960 was replaced in 1994 by the current facility.
• The closest airport to Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is Hunter Army Airfield (SVN), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) SSE of SAV.
• In 1992, the airport did have international service with nonstop flights to destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico when Key Airlines was operating a passenger hub in Savannah.
• The furthest airport from Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,485 miles (18,484 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Despite the airport's name, there are currently no scheduled commercial international flights outside the United States from Savannah/Hilton Head.
• The first Savannah Municipal Airport opened on September 20, 1929 with the inauguration of air service between New York City and Miami by Eastern Air Express.

Facts about Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ):

• 17 May 2004 - John Travolta landed his personal Qantas Boeing 707 at the airport directly from Mauritius as he was visiting a nearby private game reserve.
• Air Force Station Port Elizabeth is home to C Flight of 15 Squadron of the South African Air Force.
• A highlight in Port Elizabeth's history was the first flight to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town in 1917, made by Major Allister Mackintosh Miller.
• The furthest airport from Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Princeville Airport (HPV), which is located 11,567 miles (18,615 kilometers) away in Hanalei, Hawaii, United States.
• Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 79 miles (127 kilometers) ENE of PLZ.
• During World War II, the airfield was extended to accommodate 42 Air School for the Royal Air Force and 6 Squadron South African Air Force on the southern and eastern sides of the field.
• Because of Port Elizabeth International Airport's relatively low elevation of 226 feet, planes can take off or land at Port Elizabeth International Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• 1 February 2008 - King Abdullah II of Jordan's Airbus A340-200 landed at Port Elizabeth as he makes his way down the Garden Route to Cape Town on a Harley-Davidson motorbike.